Amadou Onana ‘must admit’ he is relishing some key differences between his life at Everton and with Belgium after reporting for international duty with the Red Devils.
Manager Domenico Tedesco kept Onana in his squad for their October fixtures after playing a key role last month. The 22-year-old started both of Belgium’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Estonia. He will now hope to start against Austria on Friday and also Sweden.
Belgium are battling with Austria for the top spot in Group F, with the two nations level with 13 points. Both are also unbeaten through five games after drawing 1-1 this June. Onana did not make Tedesco’s squad after staving off relegation from the Premier League with Everton.
Onana ‘must admit’ enjoying his time away from Everton with Belgium
Onana likely faces another relegation fight with Everton this term after a disappointing start to the campaign. He jetted off to join up with Belgium with the Toffees just 16th in the table under Sean Dyche. The midfielder has started in all eight games and played for 707 minutes.
To leave a relegation fight and join a Belgium team battling to top their Euro 2024 qualifying group delights Onana. He is relishing the differences in the atmospheres between Tedesco’s team and at Goodison Park under Dyche. Belgium boasting ‘high-quality’ players also helps.
“I’m not going to say that it’s my main source of motivation because I take very seriously the task that I have with Everton, namely to help the club to survive,” Onana told Sudinfo.
“But I must admit that this change in atmosphere and finding a team with high-quality players changes the mood. Mentally, it does me a lot of good.”
Dyche will hope Onana is not the only player enjoying an uplift
The mood at Everton improved in recent weeks with Onana helping Dyche claim two wins in their last three games. Everton won 3-1 at Brentford and beat AFC Bournemouth 3-0 around a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Luton Town. But the wins only gave a three-point gap to the drop.
So, Dyche will now hope that Onana returns to Merseyside in high spirits after relishing the differences he states. The Blues boss will also hope Everton’s other players on international duty have similar uplifts. Everton face a daunting return to action when the league resumes.
Liverpool await Everton on October 21 in the Merseyside derby at Anfield, where Onana and co lost 2-0 last term. A trip to West Ham United also follows on October 29, where the Blues also lost 2-0 last season. Everton suffering another pair of defeats would destroy their uplift.
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